1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in or relating to apparatus for cutting foodstuffs and the like materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cutting apparatus for cutting foodstuffs and the like into strips, cubes, slices and the like shapes. Still more particularly, the present invention is concerned with a cutting apparatus in which the material to be cut is introduced into a cutting compartment in which the material is pressed against a cutting device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German Pat. No. 17 79 153 describes an apparatus for cutting foodstuffs into slices, strips or cubes in which the foodstuff is moved downwardly from a holding compartment into a cutting compartment. Simultaneously with a lateral pre-pressing of the foodstuff in the cutting compartment effected by means of a compacting piston, communication between the holding and cutting compartments is interrupted by means of a cover plate arranged in its open position at the side of the cutting compartment opposite to that of the compacting piston. Movement of the cover plate to its closed position is made in conjunction with, but in counter-cyclic movement to, the movement of the compacting piston when effecting lateral pre-pressing of the foodstuff. Once placement of the cover plate in its closed position is concluded, foodstuff is fed through the cutting compartment to cutting knives located at one end of the compartment by means of a magazine piston operating against the foodstuff at the opposite end of the compartment. While the described apparatus normally functions in a satisfactory manner, its compacting piston-cover plate arrangement is rather complex in structure and function and, moreover, tends to complicate and render cumbersome the required periodic cleaning of the cutting apparatus.